The Best Laid Plans
by UnaVitaSegreta
Summary: A short nonsmutty story about EmilyRichard.  It is set during or postS7 but there is no time period in particular.


Emily looked at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't help but feel a bit silly. It was ten o'clock at night and she was applying make-up. This was the time that she usually came upstairs and got ready for bed – not the time that she put make-up on. Well, she was getting ready for bed in a way. Richard was due home tonight after a three week trip to Seattle. Something naughty within her had whispered in her ear earlier tonight to give him a decent welcome home. His trip had been very long and quite unpleasant. It was only supposed to be a two week trip. Yet once he got to Seattle he'd discovered that the company office was not running smoothly. It took another week to straighten out the mess. Every night when he had called he had sounded tired and unhappy. So, she got the idea in her head to do something special to welcome him home. It was a bit silly and something that a young woman might do, but it seemed like a cute idea. And it would make him happy. Not that she was doing this entirely for him. No, it was for her too. He had been gone for a long time. Their nightly phone calls were always a pleasant way to end the day, yet as the days stretched into weeks those calls had only made her miss him more and more. So, when the idea to put on his favorite gown and welcome him home properly popped into her mind, she immediately began to fantasize about his homecoming.

As her eyes slowly scanned down her reflection, Emily took her time to take in her appearance. She wasn't really wearing that much make-up. Just enough to hide the little flaws that no sixty year old woman could escape. And a little eye make-up. The skin around her eyes was not as tight as it had once been, but a little concealer and she looked years younger. She had also used some eyeliner to define her eyes. If she used a light brown color along with neural eye shadows it made her eyes stand out in a rather elegant manner. And a light dab of lipstick to give her face some color. It was just enough make-up to accent her facial features and give her a natural look. Richard probably wouldn't even notice anyways.

Emily ran her fingers across her neck, dabbing on a bit of the perfume that Richard liked. She didn't wear it often but he always made a comment about it when she did. Her fingers lingered against her neck for a few moments more, tracing the outline of her collarbone. She had a very smooth neckline. It was often hidden behind a necklace or a shirt collar, yet her neck was probably one of the features that she liked the most about her body. It had yet to show the signs of aging like the rest of her body.

Her hand glided from her neck to lightly brush over her shoulder. Her fingers slid beneath the thin straps of the black gown, playing against the silk material. She followed the neckline down across her chest as it made a rather low cut v-shape. It was actually a rather comfortable gown to be cut so low. It didn't unnaturally push her chest up like some of those gowns you find in that store Lorelai took her to at the mall, the place with the scantily-clad models in the windows. Her gown was padded lightly, but only enough to hint at what was lying beneath the material. That was probably why Richard liked it so much. It didn't reveal everything but instead left you with a nice hint of what was to come.

As her hand traveled further down she brushed it across her stomach. The material of the gown clung to her curves, downplaying the areas that she didn't like. It was impossible to escape them. She had given birth to a child and was now a grandmother. No one could outrun the aging process. Yet to be a woman of her age she had a rather fit and trim body. The bodice of the gown created a dark silhouette from her waist to just between her knee and thigh. Most of her gowns were not usually this short. She liked the longer ones. The silk material usually made her skin cold and the longer gowns kept her legs warm. The longer gowns kept her warmer. Yet Richard had always claimed he was a legs man. And maybe that was why this was his favorite gown.

Emily twisted her body to the side, looking at her backside and the muscles in her legs as they flexed. Her legs were probably the part of her body that she loved the most. She always had great legs. And all the exercise that she did helped to keep them toned. The sports that she enjoyed so much and those exorbitant club fees at least had paid off.

Once again staring at her own reflection, she rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous. To be standing here and focusing so much attention on her appearance. But she couldn't help that it made her heart race. She had missed Richard considerably. And she could tell from their phone calls that he had missed her too. The first few days he had only stayed on the phone with her for about fifteen minutes. Then he said he had an early morning meeting and needed to go to bed. By the end of the second week Richard had kept her talking for nearly an hour. Yes, she missed him. But she also knew that he missed her too.

Richard pushed open the door to their bedroom. There seemed to be a lamp turned on yet he didn't know if Emily had left it on by accident. If so, he didn't want to wake her. Standing in the doorway, he spotted his wife across the room, lying atop the bed. Emily was lying on her back, her head slumped to the side. She was propped up against the pillows, clearing having fallen asleep by accident. In her right hand she held a book, though it looked like it could fall from her fingers at any moment. Her left hand rested against her stomach.

It took him a moment to even notice the gown or the faint hint of make-up. Other than the lamp beside the bed, the room was dark. Richard smiled at the sight of his wife as he finally stepped into the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind himself. He felt bad for having been so late. She was obviously trying to stay up until he got home. Yet his flight had been delayed in Denver. They had spent two hours sitting on the runway, waiting for clearance to take off.

Richard made sure to be quiet as he snuck into the closet, trying to undress without making any noise. He didn't want to wake her. She looked too adorable in her present state. Her head was resting against her left shoulder. The book was still open. It looked as if she had been reading and just fell asleep mid-sentence. It wasn't often that he got to see his wife looking so peaceful and unaffected. She was always running around the house doing one thing or another. The woman never slowed down.

Shutting off the light to the closet, Richard gently closed the door behind himself. He stood at the side of the bed, looking down at the sleeping woman next to him. He hadn't noticed before but she was wearing her reading glasses. She never wore them. Even though she still needed them for low-light reading and small print, she didn't wear them. Not when he or anyone else were around. For some reason she hated the way she looked in glasses. So she just wouldn't wear them even if she couldn't see clearly. Even after the many, many times he'd told her how beautiful and attractive he found her, she didn't believe him.

Richard gently took the book from her hand, brushing his fingers against her smooth skin. He looked down at the book before placing it on her nightstand. _Pride and Prejudice_. It was a book she had read a million times before and that she would undoubtedly read many more times. He didn't want to do so because she looked so adorable, but he skillfully pulled the glasses away from her face. Folding them nicely, he placed them atop the book. Richard looked down at her for a few more moments before he finally reached over to turn off the lamp. The click of the knob didn't even wake her.

Emily stirred a bit as Richard sat down on the bed, his weight shifting the mattress slightly. She mumbled something that was incomprehensible and her left hand moved to her face as her right hand reached out to find her book.

Richard instinctively moved closer to her body, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her. "Your book and glasses are on the nightstand. Go back to sleep," he whispered.

Emily opened her eyes, slowly rolling her head to the side. "Richard … what time is it?" she asked, squinting her eyes too look at him. The moonlight from the window seemed so bright.

He smiled at the grogginess in her voice. "It's well past midnight." He was still whispering.

"I was going to wait up for you to get home," she mumbled. Emily pushed herself up, using her elbows as she realized that she was lying atop the bed. She rolled onto her side, her head lying against her pillow. "I must have fallen asleep a few hours ago."

Richard bent forward, kissing her forehead. "Go back to sleep. It's nearly two in the morning." His right hand reached for her shoulder, running his hand down her arm and back up again.

Emily scooted her body forward, feeling Richard's hand rest against her back, his arm draped over her side. "I'm glad you're home," she smiled, raising her head up to look at him.

"Me too," Richard agreed.

"Why don't we get up and fix the bed so that we can lie under the covers?" she suggested.

"I'm comfortable like this," he countered.

"We'll get cold during the night." She pressed her forehead against his chest, closing her eyes.

"Then, we'll just have to keep each other warm."

Emily felt Richard's hand pressing against her back as their bodies moved close together. "Okay," she mumbled.

Richard smiled at how fast she had fallen asleep again. Her breathing was even and he could feel her chest rising and falling as he held her in his arms.

Emily woke up a few hours later, just before six o'clock. It was already daylight outside. Her eyes rejected the bright light at first, but after a few seconds she was able to open them again. Facing the window, she turned her head to look over her shoulder. Richard was asleep behind her. Emily moaned, pushing herself onto her back. Her head rolled to the side. Richard was still sleeping, lying on his back. His hands were folded across his stomach. Emily pushed herself up, using her elbows to support herself. When they were first married the sound of his breathing had been a hard adjustment to get used to at night. She was used to sleeping alone and to the silence. After so many years, though, the sound of his breathing was so familiar that she didn't even notice it anymore.

Emily turned onto her side, pushing her body next to her husband. As she leaned against him, she brought her hand up his chest. Her fingers played against the silk of his top. He was such a strong man, so well-built. Her hand rested over his heart, feeling it beating against her fingers. It was a regular, steady rhythm. Many times when she had woken up before him, she had laid her head against his shoulder and rested her hand against his heart. It somehow made her feel at ease. If his heart was beating beneath her fingertips, then he was okay. He was okay and she didn't have to think about what life might be like without him. Not that she could think about it. She wouldn't allow herself to really think about it. Now, she was prepared if something did happen. She knew how to file the taxes and how to pay all the bills and she knew what accounts were used for all of their activities. She knew how their files were organized and where they kept the important legal documents. Everything in their household would be kept under control. She could do that. That much she knew. Yet it was the non-financial, non-legal, non-household information that she couldn't think about. She couldn't allow herself to think about going to bed every night without him. She couldn't allow herself to think about what it would be like to never see him again. To never again look into his eyes. To no longer watch him messing with his bow tie before finally giving up and asking for help. To never again hear the sound of his voice.

Damn it. Emily bit her lip, closing her eyes. She then felt her husband's hand resting atop her own. He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Emily took in a deep breath before she opened her eyes to look up at her husband. Richard smiled, pulling her hand up to his lips to kiss it. Emily averted her eyes downward as Richard shifted his position to put his arm around her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Emily nodded, pulling her hand away from his. Her fingers began to play with the buttons of his top. After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "I can't believe I fell asleep last night. I even took a nap earlier in the day so that I'd be able to stay awake."

"It was a lovely idea," Richard grinned, looking down at her.

Emily pulled herself from his embrace, moving back a bit so that she could be face to face with him instead. "I wanted to surprise you," she smiled.

"You did," he reassured her. "You did." Richard brushed his fingers across her cheek. "You are very beautiful when you're asleep. Especially when you fall asleep by accident," he added, moving his head forward to kiss her brow.

Emily looked up at him, a faint smile on her face. Richard bent his head down, brushing his lips against hers. "Welcome home," she mumbled, kissing him again, more passionately this time. Her arm slid around his waist as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him.

* * *

The usual thanks go to **Cira** for her beta skills. I wrote this story back in June when I was in Atlanta. Despite Cira's reassurances, I just wasn't happy with it. Yet I found it last night and decided to post it. Special thanks to **OFG** for suggesting the title. I have no talent in that area! 


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